According to an October 26 report by France's "European Times" citing AFP, the French ride-hailing platform Uber began offering all Uber drivers free insurance against traffic accidents while carrying passengers, starting October 26 local time.
According to the report, a joint statement by Uber France and the AXA insurance group announced that, in response to the special needs of the independent drivers who work with Uber, the company is opening social protection for traffic accidents that occur while Uber drivers are carrying passengers. The statement noted that this insurance covers health and death, with premiums borne by Uber, insuring drivers against traffic accidents during passenger-carrying periods "from the moment the driver agrees to pick up a passenger until the passenger is delivered to the destination."
France's 2016 labor law stipulates that most internet platforms must, from January 2018, bear the voluntary insurance premiums that employees pay for work-related accidents, or provide a collective agreement with equivalent coverage.
The report noted that the insurance the Uber platform provides to Uber drivers has no turnover conditions attached. However, after an accident, the driver must repay part of the medical expenses: for medical and hospitalization costs in urban areas, an amount equal to 100% of the reimbursement base of the health insurance fund must be repaid. If a passenger's injury results in a long-term loss of a certain ability, or if a passenger dies and an annuity must be paid to the deceased's family, the driver must also repay part of the cost, with the amount determined according to the driver's net income over the past 12 months.
Uber France pointed out that currently only one in five of the independent drivers working with Uber in France have bought personal insurance. "Our goal is to continue filling this gap so that all drivers who work with Uber can drive and carry passengers with peace of mind."
It is reported that the Uber platform has been criticized in recent months for raising commissions on each ride fare, and the company has therefore encountered difficulties recruiting new drivers; Uber admits it wants to "restore drivers' trust in Uber."
Source: China.com.cn Finance 2017-10-27